


Search and Rescue

by my_angry_angel



Category: The Hobbit (2012)
Genre: Gen, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-07
Updated: 2013-03-07
Packaged: 2017-12-04 14:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/711809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_angry_angel/pseuds/my_angry_angel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dwarves are attacked in the middle of the night. When the dust settles, Kili is missing. The others mount a rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Search and Rescue

The attack came, like all well-planned attacks, when they least expected it. One minute, they were sound asleep; the next, Ori was yelling, “Attack!” A dozen men swarmed among the Dwarves. The warning gave them enough time to wake and reach for their weapons, so it wasn’t a complete bloodbath. Even so, they were hard pressed to fight the men off. Nearly everyone sustained at least one minor injury, but in the end, the beasts retreated.

The company regrouped to tend to their wounds, and it was only then that they realized Kili was gone.

They searched for nearly an hour, the night echoing with cries of his name. But finally, they decided he’d been taken by the men. Everyone was exhausted, but they were all in agreement to mount a search party immediately. The men were on mounted, so they could travel faster than the Dwarves, but they left a trail a blind Hobbit could follow.

They caught up with the men a week later in late afternoon. The trail had faded, but not disappeared completely. The exhausted Dwarves crested a hill and instantly dropped to hide in the brush. A lone man stood at the base of the hill, facing away from them. A large fire roared in front of him, with a whole deer roasting over it. Picketed nearby were a dozen horses, but their riders were nowhere in sight. A pack of dogs were in a hastily erected pen near the fire.

As they crouched within the undergrowth, an agonized scream rang out. It took everyone to hold Fili back, to keep him from going to his brother’s aid. Thorin even had to clap a hand over his nephew’s mouth to keep him from crying out. “Save your rage,” he whispered, his own eyes smoldering with anger. “We’ll save him. We’ll get him back.” They retreated down the hill where they planned out the attack.

#

Kili continued screaming for hours until the men showed themselves just before sunset. Fili wasn’t happy sitting and listening to his brother in such pain, but he trusted the plan to work. There was a cave set in the hill, and most of them had been inside. No doubt, Kili was in there too.

Just as the sun sank below the horizon, an arrow flew out of the forest and hit a man. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but it got their attention. They got to their feet and charged in the direction the arrow had come from. Just before they left the clearing, another arrow flew in from another part of the forest. Then a stone, followed by a third arrow. The projectiles continued raining down, faster and faster until the camp was in total pandemonium. Three men had fallen, and still the arrows flew.

That’s when Fili and Bilbo moved. Bilbo to sneak into the cave and get Kili out, Fili to protect the Hobbit if they were detected. They stayed close to the hill, crouched down to hide in the brush. The chaos was already a decent cover, but then Gandalf extinguished the fire with magic, leaving the camp in darkness. The Hobbit and Dwarf slipped into the cave, where Fili quickly dispatched a single man standing guard. A small fire burned within, showing a macabre sight.

Kili was chained to a post near the back of the cave, hanging by his wrists, his feet dangling well off the ground. He was naked from the waist up, his clothes jumbled together at the base of the post. The manacles cut into his flesh, blood dripping down his bare arms. But that was the least of his injuries. He looked very much like he’d been tortured over the last week. Mercifully, he was unconscious.

Both Dwarf and Hobbit were too short to reach the chain, so Bilbo stood on Fili’s shoulders to free him. The guard had been kind enough to have the key to the manacles on a thong around his neck. The challenge was making sure Kili didn’t crash to the ground as soon as he was free. It would have been easier with a third person, but they had to make do with the two of them.

Bilbo was left to balance on his own while Fili reached up as high as he could, barely able to grab his brother’s waist. As soon as the Dwarf had a solid grip, Bilbo turned the key, then grabbed the chain, holding himself up so Fili could devote all of his strength and attention to catching Kili. As soon as they were both clear, he let go, falling silently to the ground.

He went to the mouth of the cave and peeked out. The men were gone, pursuing the Dwarves on foot. “Clear,” he whispered. Fili hauled his brother over his shoulders and they slipped out, Bilbo carrying Kili’s clothes. Though the clearing was empty aside from the animals, they stayed near the hill on the way out, hiding in the shadows. The others were set to meet in an hour, giving them plenty of time to lose any men that may be following them. But the brothers and Bilbo weren’t due at the rendezvous point until dawn, in case Kili needed immediate attention. They wouldn’t need the whole time given, but it would be a good idea to stop as soon as they could. But first, they had to find a safe place to rest.

They’d been trekking through the forest for about five minutes when loud baying started up behind them. Fili and Bilbo paused for a moment and looked at each other. “Dogs,” they said at the same time, then took off again, faster than before. If the men were on the hunt, they must have returned to their camp and realized their prisoner was gone. Which meant Bilbo and Fili had to find somewhere to hide soon. They wouldn’t have a chance of survival if the men caught up with them.

They both sighed with relief when they came across a small stream. Water would help throw the dogs off their trail. They splashed along the streambed, not caring about how much noise they made. If the men got close enough to hear the splashing, the dogs would drown out the noise. The howling got closer, then paused when the hunters came across the stream.

After a minute, the noise started up again. The men must have split up; there were two distinct groups, one getting closer, and the other more distant. It made their odds of survival a little better, at least. They needed all the help they could get, because the men would be upon them in a minute.

“There!” Bilbo cried suddenly, pointing off into the trees. Fili squinted and barely made out a small opening in a cliff face. “You two hide in there, I’ll lead them off.”

“But--“

“Just do it. We don’t have time to argue.” Bilbo started off toward the cliff without waiting to hear if the Dwarf would continue to argue. He shoved Kili’s clothes into the cave and turned to face the older Dwarf. “You need to rest anyway.”

Fili knew he was right; he could run for hours, but not carrying his brother. It just seemed wrong to let the Hobbit put his life on the line. If anything happened to Bilbo, Thorin would never forgive Fili. Their burglar was their only chance to get into Erebor. “Stay safe, my friend,” he said, clasping Bilbo’s forearm before dashing through the trees to the cave.

The opening was so narrow he barely fit through with his brother on his shoulders. It was a long, low tunnel, and at the end, there was a tiny opening. He had to turn sideways, dragging his brother along. It was difficult, but once he got through, the cave widened out enough that he could lay Kili down, then he returned to the entrance to watch the events unfold. Bilbo was nowhere in sight, and the dogs were still approaching. Three men rounded a bend in the stream and the Hobbit darted out of a clump of bushes near the bank. The men immediately caught sight of him and took off in hot pursuit as he led them through the trees away from the cave.

Fili retreated back into the cave and knelt next to his brother. Kili was starting to wake, moaning softly. “Shh,” Fili whispered, smoothing his brother’s hair back from his forehead. “You’re safe now.” The Dwarf fell silent, his eyelids fluttering gently for a moment before stilling.

There was a large opening in the roof of the cave, which let in enough light for Fili to see a tightly woven screen of branches leaning against the cave wall near the opening, a ring of scorched stones, and a pile of moss-covered firewood. The cave had been used as a campsite before, apparently, but not for years. Fili slid the screen over the opening and got a small fire going and slid his brother close to the flame to keep him warm.

Kili was bare from the waist up, exposing his numerous cuts and bruises. Each rib had been underline by a knife, the wounds deep, and there was a fresh stab wound on his side. That was easily his most pressing injury and could possibly kill him without treatment. All Fili had were bandages, but they’d have to do. He pulled the bandages from a pack on his back, which he started applying to his brother’s wounds.

#

As a child, Bilbo had played games like this with other kids in the Shire. One would hide in the fields or forest, and the others would search. The game was over when he was found, or the searchers gave up. The stakes had never been so high, though. Back then, if he was found, he might get pushed into a mud puddle. Now, he’d be killed, or possibly take Kili’s place if he was caught.

But the hunters had never chased a lone Hobbit. Even with the dogs, they were out of their depth. The challenge was keeping them interested in the hunt, on his trail rather than Fili’s. So he let them see him occasionally as he dashed back and forth, leaving a jumble of trails for the dogs to follow. The other half of the hunting party joined with the first, leaving seven men chasing him. As he led them farther from the cave, he showed himself less often. Exhaustion was catching up to him, and every time he let them see him, it was harder and harder to lose them.

Toward dawn, he hid in a tree and watched as the men gathered below. They argued amongst themselves for a few seconds, then turned and started back to their camp. The dogs were silent, tongues lolling out of their mouths. They were just as tired as Bilbo was, and seemed to be giving up the hunt. 

Bilbo wanted to follow them and make sure they didn’t run across Fili and Kili, but it was getting late. Thorin and the others were expecting them back at dawn. For all he knew, the brothers had already returned. Even if they hadn’t, he’d led the men well away from both the cave the brothers were hiding in, and the rendezvous point. He had to believe they’d be okay. After the men were out of sight, the Hobbit dropped from the tree and started toward the rendezvous point. The woods were eerily silent after the noise of the hunt.

He found the Dwarves ready to mount another rescue. The sun was fully up, well after when he and the brothers were due back. Everyone embraced the Hobbit, then Thorin asked, “Where are Fili and Kili?”

Bilbo’s face fell and he looked around. “They’re not here yet?”

“They were supposed to be with you.”

“The men were right behind us,” the Hobbit said, shaking his head. “They hid and I drew the men off. I haven’t seen them since.” It was a weak excuse, and it would be even weaker if the brothers had been captured or killed. “I’ll go find them.” He was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but he was responsible for this. It was up to him to find them.

“I’ll come with you,” Thorin said in a way that brooked no argument. Bilbo couldn’t tell if the Dwarf was angry at him for leaving his nephews, or just worried about them. “Where did you last see them?” he asked as they started off through the woods.

“A cave. It’s pretty well hidden, but they might not be there anymore.”

“Fili knows where to go and how to stay out of trouble. We’ll find them.”

“I didn’t want to leave them,” Bilbo said after a moment of silence. “There were too many of them and Fili needed to rest.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I would have done the same. You’ve put your life on the line to save me before, and now to save my family. I find myself in your debt once more.”

“You lot have saved me before,” the Hobbit protested, shaking his head. “Besides, I was just doing what anyone would have done.”

“What anyone _should_ have done,” Thorin amended. “There’s a difference. Most would have chosen to hide. All three of you could have been caught if you’d taken the easy way.”

Bilbo shrugged and looked down. “Let’s just hope they weren’t caught anyway.”

Thorin said nothing to that, and Bilbo was all too happy to let the subject drop. “How was Kili when you left?” Thorin asked after a moment.

Bilbo briefly considered his options. He didn’t want to give the Dwarf a false impression of his nephew’s condition, nor did he want to make him worry unnecessarily. “I didn’t get a good look,” he finally said. “It was dark and I didn’t have time to stop to look. But you know Fili. He won’t let anything happen to his brother.”

Thorin nodded wordlessly, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword. He looked relaxed though, so Bilbo wasn’t worried about an attack. They traveled in silence for nearly an hour before they heard rustling ahead. They both backed into the trees, peering ahead for the source of the sound. Whoever--or whatever--it was wasn’t speaking, just moving slowly and heavily through the undergrowth. Bilbo slowly moved closer to the source of the sound, hardly making a sound. He poked his head around a tree, just far enough to see past it. A blade flashed in the sun and embedded itself in the tree a fingers breadth away from Bilbo’s face.

#

Fili knew he should have left the cave earlier. He finished bandaging his brother shortly after they separated from Bilbo, and Kili woke up not long after. They were both ready to go back to the others, but the men were still in the area. Neither dared leave the cave while they could hear the dogs. So they waited in silence, holding hands at Kili’s insistence. The contact soothed him, so Fili wasn’t going to deny him the simple request.

When the men passed by again, Fili crept to the entrance to watch. He’d allowed the fire to burn out, and Kili was fast asleep, wrapped in his own clothes and Fili’s coat. It was past when they were due back but he knew they were safer hiding in the cave than out in the forest. The men were too large to enter the cave, even if they found out the brothers were hiding there.

When they were gone, he went back to check on his brother. The younger Dwarf was still sleeping, mumbling uneasily. Fili cupped his brother’s cheek and Kili quieted. After a few minutes, he decided enough time had passed and woke his brother. “Time to go,” he whispered. Kili nodded and struggled to sit up. “Hold on to me,” Fili urged, moving to help him up. He wrapped one arm around his brother’s waist and pulled Kili’s arm over his own shoulders, then slowly stood.

Kili had injured his knee in the attack before he was captured and couldn’t put any weight on that leg, so going was slow, even with Fili helping his brother every step of the way. “It would be easier if I was carrying you,” he said after they got out of the cave.

Kili shook his head quickly. “The day I let anyone carry me...’s the day I move to the Shire and take up g-gardening.”

“I was carrying you before,” Fili pointed out.

“I was passed out for that part. It doesn’t count.” While Fili was trying to think of a retort to that, the younger Dwarf asked, “Was anyone hurt?”

“Not seriously. Cuts and bruises mostly. Ori hurt his wrist, but it was fine by last night.”

“What happened last night?”

“Thorin and the others drew them off. Bilbo and I snuck in and got you out of there.”

“Where is he now?” Kili asked after a moment.

“Gone. He led the men away while we hid.”

“I bet you hated that, huh?”

“It meant I could take care of you. I just hope he’s okay.”

“Me too,” Kili said softly. They traveled in silence for a few more minutes when the younger Dwarf asked, “Can we rest for a minute?”

“Yeah,” Fili answered. “Let’s just find some water.” He could hear a stream not far off, and helped his brother toward the bank. He eased Kili down to the ground and leaned down to stick his face directly in the water, drinking deeply. Though the day was young, it was already hot, and the exertion of helping Kili through the thick groundcover was draining him. After drinking his fill, he cupped some water in his hands and brought them to his brother’s lips; the younger Dwarf needed to keep his bandages dry. He had to make several trips before Kili got enough.

“Let me have a look at your side,” Fili said, pushing his brother’s many layers of clothes aside. The wound was bleeding again, soaking through the bandage. All he could do was wrap it again, tighter than before.

“That bad?” Kili asked after the older Dwarf finished.

“You’ll be fine,” Fili said, though he wasn’t certain of that anymore. “You know I’m rubbish at this. Once we get back to the others, you’ll be right as rain. I won’t let anything hurt you before we get back. Ready to go?”

Kili nodded and they set off, slower than before. Because of the slower pace, they managed to get almost halfway to the rendezvous point before they heard someone moving ahead. Fili eased his brother down to the ground, and Kili grabbed his hand. “Don’t let them take me again.”

“I won’t,” he promised, trying to pull away, but his brother kept his grip long enough to grab one of the daggers Fili kept hidden in his bracers.

“I’ll take my own life before I let them have me again,” he whispered, fear in his eyes.

Fili nodded and gave his brother a quick hug. “You won’t have to,” he said soothingly, then stood and silently drew his sword before creeping forward. The wait was agonizing, but finally he saw a head poke around a nearby tree. He whirled and swung his sword before he could see who it was. He missed by a fraction of an inch, and lost a second jerking the sword free. But even with the lost time, he was on the attack before whoever it was could react.

“It’s me!” his target yelled repeatedly as Fili tackled him to the ground. It took until the third repetition for Fili to realize it was Bilbo. Before the Dwarf could say anything, Thorin came crashing through the bushes with a battle cry, but he stopped himself before he attacked.

“Fili,” he murmured, dropping his sword and embracing his nephew tight. “Where’s your brother?” he asked, pulling back. Fili led them back into the trees, where they found Kili dragging himself across the ground toward them in obvious pain. The other two Dwarves immediately went to help him, concern showing on their faces.

“It’s okay,” Thorin murmured softly. “You’re gonna be okay.” He continued encouraging Kili until they got back, where the others seemed ready to send out another rescue party. But when they saw the four of them, it turned into a different kind of party entirely. Of the four of them, Kili was the only one who had slept at all during the night; Bilbo, Fili, and Thorin were nearly dead on their feet. So, though they all knew they needed to move, they decided to wait and give those three a chance to rest.

While they slept, the rest of them rigged a litter for Kili. He hated the idea, but he knew that he’d slow the company down when they needed to move quickly. So he kept his complaints to himself, watching them work. Though he was decently rested, he fell asleep within minutes, his brother and uncle curled protectively around him.


End file.
